911 Please state your emergency...

Yesterday turned out to be quite an eventful day. Logan had the morning off so we spent that time relaxing, running errands, and just playing around. Once Logan left, Lyla and I continued the playing; we played dress up (more to my amusement than hers)



Lyla left the hat on for about 30 seconds



 and enjoyed some of her favorite toys. Finally it was dinner time so I prepared Lyla's food and put her in her high chair to eat while I did some dishes. I turned to check on her frequently but one time I turned around and saw her leaning over the side of her high chair immediately I paniced and ran to her but didn't make it in time. I literally saw her fall head first onto our kitchen floor. Here is where the hysteria set in. While I knew I should stay calm, I felt completely unsure of what to do. I managed to get my mom on the phone and Lyla and I went straight to Children's Hospital. By this point Lyla had stopped crying and was in a pretty good mood. While waiting for the Dr. she played as if nothing had happened. We praise God that nothing was wrong, not even a minor concussion. I am so thankful for a country where I can rush my child to the hospital in emergencies and for a God that truly is our protector. This was a situation where I had no control and had to trust God to take care of her, I am thankful the my God never fails. For those of you who are still perhaps a little shocked and concerned, here is Lyla today...

My long-term vision

So this was originally sent as an e-mail to just a few of my closest girl friends but I felt like God wanted me to share it. Habakkuk 2:2 says, "Then the Lord replied: 'Write down the revelation and make it plain on tabliets so that a herald may run with it.'" I think it is so important to write down your vision and while it may change, it serves as a daily reminder of why we do what we do...it is all for His glory.

I was trying to do some homework and research on the Greek word paraklesis and I found this blog by "mistake" but I don't think it was a mistake at all. Take just a minute to check out the blog post Guys, this is my passion, this is what God has for me I know that I know it. Not in Uganda, but somewhere there are children out there that will call me "mommy" and for these children I will leave all the comforts of home and everything I know in order to make a difference for His kingdom! I believe our upcoming ministry in China will be effective, it will be great for us to get experience on the mission field and under some amazing Godly people. Orphans are what breaks my heart and I know God will use China as a stepping stone to take us to what He has for us. Please stand in prayer that God will continue to reveal His plan to me as He sees fit and also pray that I will have the wisdom to walk in it.

This is Julio, the boy that started it all, he will forever be our Mexican son

                                                             Julio turned 15 three days ago!! 

Growing Strong and Moving On

I can honestly say that this week has been good. Last Saturday we celebrated Lyla's first birthday and it was so much fun watching her check  everything out, she had a great time playing with the other babies and though it took minute she really got into the cupcake!

After her birthday was over, it really started to sink in how close we are getting to leaving Knoxville and moving to China!  This is an exciting time in our lives and we are thankful that we have so many friends to share our experience with. Speaking of which, we had our first person pledge to donate to our ministry on a monthly basis. This happened at the exact time I was needing some encouragement, God is so good!

Another major event this week was taking Lyla to the dr. They are amazed at how much she is growing. Her height is in the 3rd percentile, her weight has moved up to the 5th percentile but the real shocker is, wait for it, her head circumference is in the 50th percentile! This must be a sure sign that she will be as smart as she is beautiful.

The third and final event that happened this week was that I passed my kidney stone that I have been working on for months. I am so proud it has now passed, I was getting worried that it was too big, and for good reason....check that baby out!

Believe your eyes, that is a kidney stone that measures 1/2 inch. That's worth celebrating, right? We thought so too so we went and got some frozen yogurt that was delicious. That's all for now, enjoy your week!